No Control • hs

four

The elevator door finally opens to reveal Louis sitting outside of his apartment door. "What are you doing out here?!" Harry says, furrowing his brow.

"I got locked out! And my key is inside." Louis says standing up. Harry unlocks the door of his apartment to see that it has been broken into. Chairs were flipped over, cabinets were flown open and books were sprawled everywhere."I'm calling the police."

"Peyton stay back."

"Harry-"

"Stay back!" I was taken aback by his harsh tone. "They could still be in here." Harry grabbed a broom and immediately rushed into his bedroom. I ran to his kitchen. I hear the broom drop and the sound of smacking against skin. I stand in front of the pantry which you couldn't see from out of Harry's bedroom. Someone stands at the threshold of Harry's bedroom holding a piece of paper.

Zayn?

Totally aware of what I was about to do, I clocked Zayn right in the nose and he fell to the ground. "Get out right now." He smirked at me and voluntarily walked out.

Where's Harry?

I ran into his room and found him looking through his bookshelf rapidly, cheeks flushed. "Harry, this isn't time to be reading!"

"Peyton, where'd Zayn go?"

"I told him to leave and he walked out."

Harry got up and ran to the door. Zayn was standing, leaning against my apartment door. "I found it Styles, and I am keeping it."

"You don't want to do that." Harry says through gritted teeth.

"Why not? You're afraid of this?" Zayn punches Harry right in the stomach. But Harry fights back, punching Zayn in the face. Before I knew it, Zayn was on top of Harry and Harry was unable to move. Zayn held his fist up about to take one last punch at Harry, but I yanked Zayn off of him, barely.

"Get out of here." I say my voice serious and loud.

"Just one thing." Zayn says walking over to the fireplace and dropping a piece of paper in it. That was what Harry wanted, whatever the paper was. Zayn smirks and slams the door behind him. I look over and see Harry's eyes getting watery.

"Peyton." Harry says, looking up at me like a little kid. "Please tell me that, that paper isn't burning."

"I-I'm sorry Harry." Harry covers his eyes with his hands and leans his back on the couch.

"Do you want to talk?" I ask.

"No." Harry sits and I stand in silence, listening to the crackle of the fireplace. "I need some time alone."

"Harry are you sure? I can help you clean up around here."

"No." I grab my purse off the counter and open the door. "Peyton."

"Yeah?"

"Thank you." I nod and close the door.

***

It's been 3 days since me and Harry have talked. The police came to his house and set up a profile for Zayn. I write down my last customer's order on a cup and take off my apron and visor and start walking towards the door to go to McAllister's. I order, sit down, and start eating.

"May I join you?" I look up to see Harry, standing with his tray at the end of my table.

"Yes, of course." Harry sets his tray on the table. "Have they found him yet?"

"Yes, and released him."

"What do you mean released him? He broke into your apartment."

"They couldn't build a case, they had no solid proof that he was ever in the apartment."

"There were three witnesses! They didn't dust for finger prints?"

"They did, there was none. "

"I didn't notice any gloves on him though."

"He burned the only thing he touched." He had food in front of him but wasn't at all eating. Neither would I, if my apartment could be potentially broken into again.

"What about security cameras?"

"There was none that went down our hall." I sigh.

"So they just let him go?"

"Yep. Zayn is probably long gone, he got what he wanted, what would he need to come back for? Don't worry about him." Harry says, reaching out to touch my hand on the other side of the table."Peyton."

"Yeah."

"No matter what, I won't let you get in the middle of this. He could target you and that's the last thing I ever want." I nod.

We walk back to the coffee shop. I struggle tying my apron in the back.

"Chop, chop, chop, Peyton! We have work to do!" Harry says entering the back counter. I finally get my apron on and start taking orders. It nears the end of my shift and I take off my visor and apron and grab my purse. I use the restroom before walking out to my car.

My eyes fall on Harry as he lifts open the hood of his car, black smoke billowing from it. He takes a deep breath and slams the hood down.

"I can give you a lift, you know." I say, slowly walking towards him.

"It's fine, I'll find someone to tow it and then fix whatever is wrong and then get a rental car then-"

"Harry." He looks at me, breaking eye contact with the hood of the car.

"Just get in my car." He nods and follows me to my car.